CHEMISTRY OF THE PTOMAINES. 231 



The PiCEATE, C8Hii]Sr0.C5H,(NO2)3OH, is obtained in 

 broad prisms, which melt at 195°. It is the only salt 

 suitable for manipulations. 



In describing Nencki's collidine (page 196) it was stated 

 that tyrosin might be looked upon as the source of that 

 base. It would seem, however, to be more appropriately 

 the parent substance of mydine, inasmuch as it decomposes 

 on being heated to 270° into carbonic acid and oxyphenyl- 

 etliylarnine, CjHuNO. Tlie cliange tliat takes place can 

 bi' represented by the equation : 



^6t[4\nTT QTJXrjT QQ TT _ (1 TT /OH 



\un2.i.iiiNii2.ou2ii — ^6i^i4\cH2.CIl2NII, + CO^. 



TTROSIN. OXYPHENYL-ETIIYLAMINE. 



A Base, CjH^NOj, was isolated by E. and H. Sal- 

 KOWSKI (1883) from decomposing fibrin and meat. In its 

 compositiou it is isomeric with betaine anhydride. It is 

 extremely soluble in water, very difficultly so in alcoliol, 

 insoluble in ether, and possesses a semen-like odor and 

 saline taste. The aqueous solution, which is not alkaline 

 in reaction, yields on evaporation a stellate crystalline mass, 

 which on standing over sulphuric acid becomes a wliite 

 powder, which melts at 156°. It dissolves silver oxide, 

 but not cupric hydrate, thus apparently indicating that it 

 is not an amido acid. Moreover, it docs not give a pre- 

 cipitate or blue coloration with copper acetate, or ammo- 

 niaeal silver nitrate. It thus differed from the then known 

 amido-valerianic acids, its isomers. Recently, however 

 (1891), Gabriel and Aschan showed that <S-amido-vale- 

 rianic acid agrees with this base in its reactions to copper 

 and silver oxide, copper acetate, and ammouiacal silver 

 nitrate. The gold salt of the synthetic base possessed the 

 same composition as that of Salkowski, and melted at 

 86°-87°. 



The identity of this base with ''-amido-valerianic acid 

 (homopiperidinic acid) would seem to be established, and 

 as sucli it is regarded. Its structure, then, is represented by 



mi^.CH,.CIl,.CH,.ClI,.COJl. 



